Unstrung
by ColdGoldLazarus
Summary: "Adjective: weakened or nervously unhinged, as a person or a person's nerves; unnerved; discomposed." A look at parting and reuniting through the eyes of three closest to the deceased. Additional character tag: Ciel Soleil.
1. Phase 1: Death

**I: You Never Know What You Have...**

Ciel Soleil hadn't considered herself to be too terribly attached to Penny. The girl was sweet and energetic, and more than just a bit naive, but she was ultimately no more and no less than an assignment. A somewhat frustrating one, to be perfectly honest, having slipped out of the timekeeper's sight on many occasions while they were in Vale. Nobody had blamed her for failing to stop her partner from running off, but it still made Ciel herself feel humiliated and incompetent each time. Penny didn't even notice. Her demeanor was unprofessional, her blatant disregard for the all-important schedule vexing, and Ciel frankly had no idea why or how she was so important. (Not that it was her place to ask.) She performed her task with diligence, but watching out for the girl had been one of her least favorite assignments yet.

But now, staring at the ginger's dismembered form lying in the middle of the tournament stage, Ciel felt the inexplicable need to cry.

 **II: Eulogy From The Friend Of A Friend**

Weiss stared in shock at the television screen. She and Blake had been chatting amicably, if somewhat awkwardly given recent events, but hushed when the match began. Now this happened…

Weiss hadn't been close to Penny. The first time they'd met, she'd been outright creeped out by the ginger girl's strange behavior, and the second time she'd ditched her own teammate and partner to avoid her. Most of what she knew about her after that point was secondhand, from Ruby's stories. She fought with floating swords, had a laser that could slice through bullheads like melted butter, and was apparently pretty fun once you got to know her. Not that Weiss had had the chance or will to do so.

But now she couldn't help but gape at the horrific sight. The girl, dead, with her torso cut in half and limbs scattered about carelessly. Something about the picture seemed odd, the lack of blood strange, but Weiss was too shocked to take a closer look. This was all wrong. Nobody deserved that fate.

 **III: Disbelief In The Face Of Failure**

Ruby stared ahead blankly. Penny wasn't dead.

Why?

Penny _shouldn't_ dead.

She didn't deserve this.

Penny _couldn't_ be dead.

Ruby couldn't see anymore, her vision distorted into a blurred mass of colors, tears forming a constant stream down her cheeks. She was too exhausted to even wipe them away.

Yet Penny was dead.

* * *

 **This isn't my best work. More of a delayed reaction to PvP than anything, though part 2 has the real good stuff. This is just a quick way of dealing with a plot-bunny without starting another multi-chapter fic; I have enough on my plate as it is. Anyway, the one disappointment I have with the latter half of Volume 3 is the utter absence of Ciel. I'm not asking for a huge role from her, but at least a reaction shot would have been nice.**

Through The Darkened Mirror **Chapter 3 is almost done; just a bit stuck on this last scene. I'll probably have it done by the end of the week.**


	2. Phase 2: Rebirth

**IV: Time Enough For Second Chances**

Ciel thought she had been prepared. Ironwood had talked to her about this assignment, warned her that it might be difficult. But she accepted, knowing that staying away would be the worse decision in the long run. She thought she was prepared to face this, having quelled these demons months ago now. But when they escorted her into the lab to meet her new partner, it was all she could do not to break down entirely.

Taller, older looking somehow. Slimmer yet bulkier, somehow. A sleeker, more modern style of clothing, though the bands of green retained their pattern. The same ginger hair, though in a tight cinnamon-bun style rather than hanging down her sides, with a sharp rake-like set of bangs. A narrower face, though the freckles remained. And her smile was more reserved, more of a grin than anything. It was an eerie mixture of the familiar and the alien, and Ciel found herself reconsidering volunteering for this. Until the girl spoke.

"Sal-u-tations! I am Persephone Polendina!" That smile grew wide, eyes lighting up with excitement. It was a better look for her, really.

Ciel wiped away a stray tear and held out her hand with a smile; sadness was not on her schedule. "It really _is_ a pleasure to meet you, Pe- Persephone. I hope we can work well together." _I missed you._

 **V: The More Things Change…**

Weiss ran through the streets of Atlas' campus. It was aimless, uncontrolled - a morning walk turned into an all-out sprint as she tried to flee her memories, drowning it all beneath the exhaustion and the repetitive, painful pounding of her legs. Despite the frosty air, she was sweating from exertion.

She rounded a corner and crashed into a brick wall. Or at least, that's what it felt like. After all, brick walls didn't let out a yelp as they fell backwards. Brick walls didn't have feet that could slip on ice. Brick walls didn't inspire a sudden sense of deja-vu when you landed atop them in a tangle of limbs.

"Sorry about that; I didn't see you," the Schnee heiress muttered as she stood up, stretching out an arm to help up the other, though her eyes were fixed firmly on the ground. She was ready to be berated for being in the way, an all-too familiar occurrence ever since her return to Atlas.

And so she didn't expect what she heard next. "Oh, it is not a problem at all." The stranger didn't even bother getting back up, and Weiss dropped her hand after an awkward moment.

"Are you okay?" She finally asked. She wanted to just run away, but it would be rude to just walk over this person.

"I'm _wonderful!_ Thank you for asking."

A chuckle from off to the side distracted Weiss from examining her shoes. An unfamiliar girl with dark skin and a blue beret was giving her partner a patient grin. "Do you want to get up?"

"Uh… yes." Before Weiss could offer her hand again, the other girl flipped easily to her feet. Still Weiss refused to look at her, though she didn't know why.

The blue girl turned to face the newcomer. "Weiss Schnee, heiress. 17. Hails from Atlas, but attennnd...ed Beacon. Member of Team RWBY. Status… Trustworthy. Huh." She tapped her watch with a frown, but shrugged. "It's nice to meet you, ma'am." Without waiting for a response, she turned back to her partner. "It'll be only ten minutes before Ironwood notices we're gone. Do you want to start back now?"

"That is probably the best course. Father is so protective…" A sudden hand grasped Weiss', shaking her entire arm with enthusiasm. "It was a pleasure to meet you!" And before she knew what was happening, the heiress looked up into the face of a ghost.

 **VI: Ghosts In The Machine**

Ruby panted, the familiar weight of Crescent Rose now threatening to drag her down. At her back were Jaune, Nora, Ren, Sun, and Neptune, the six of them forming a circle. The Beowulves had retreated for now, but had not left, their dark forms circling at the edge of the clearing.

In her exhaustion, Ruby found herself noticing details that she'd normally find irrevelant. The way the moonlight sparkled off the crust of snow. The sensation of numbness in her red hands and nose, the cold having long given way to something worse. The skeletal trees around them, and the black emptiness at the edge of the cliff. If they had to, they could escape that way… but in their present state, she wasn't sure they'd survive the fall. It was ironic, in a way, how one of the weakest varieties of Grimm had grown the most dangerous these days, their strength bolstered by the fear and hate, until their advantage of numbers made a pack more dangerous than even a giant Nevermore.

They should have stayed in Mistral after all, waited for the ice to mel-

 _Fwish._ Suddenly, there was a sword sticking from the lead Beowulf, and it collapsed into the snow. _Fwish, fwish, fwish._ Moments later, most of the rest of the pack joined it, black blades with circular crossguards sticking out at various angles. Moments later they rose from the dissolving corpses, coming together in a formation before flying overhead back to the cliff.

Framed by the silver glow of the shattered moon stood three figures, the middle one directing the swords into a waiting pack. Ruby's breath hitched, but there was no sign, no hint of strings. The swords were completely independent.

The figure on the left, resplendent in white and blue and carrying a more streamlined form of Mytenaster, whispered in the ginger's ear, who suddenly rushed forth to pick up the exhausted scythe-wielder in a bone-crushing hug. Ruby didn't fight it. "Oh, you're my friend? How grand! Sensational, even! Hello again!"

And it hit. The realization. Not one, but two had been saved. And for the first time since that awful night, Ruby cried, even through her beaming smile.

* * *

 **I really really want to see a longer story with Ciel and Weiss and maybe FNKY having shenanigans with a resurrected Penny, but I knew I couldn't write it myself, not the way I wanted. I have other stories to focus on, not to mention schoolwork. This was my attempt to compromise, writing some of the major scenes I had in mind. I want more Ciel in Volume 4.**

 **Again, not my best work, but I've done worse. I hope you at least liked it.**

 **(Persephone's name and appearance was kinda sorta heavily inspired by a piece of art by Dishwasher1910 on deviantart. I suggest you look it up; it's pretty great.)**

 **Forget Jaune; we need a Penny harem anime. I'd watch.**


End file.
